ABANDONED Greenfield House will provide public services once again, vowed a councillor as the local authority confirmed it seeks to buy-back the property.

Clackmannanshire Council will look to purchase its iconic former headquarters, around four years after it concluded the sale of the B-listed property.

Elected members discussed their options to address concerns over the deteriorating fabric of the building with two items on the agenda at last Thursday's, June 24, council meeting.

A paper detailing the local authority's options was taken in public while separate documents on the "purchase option" were taken in private as they contained commercially sensitive information.

Following the meeting behind closed doors, the local authority confirmed to the Advertiser that it is seeking to purchase the building – which will require a willing seller.

Cllr Craig Holden, who asked council officers to bring options forward, said during the public portion of the debate: "We should seek to bring the site back into public ownership as soon as possible in order to save a much-loved building, to do what the Clackmannanshire public clearly wishes to do."

He explained the commercially-sensitive nature of that option "unfortunately" meant the debate had to go private.

However, he added: "I wish to offer elected members and the wider public some reassurances.

"We will only consider paying what the site is worth in its current state; valuations have been obtained which will ensure the best value protection of the public pound.

"The building will be saved and it will once again take its place as a provider of public services."

He also offered "sincere apologies" that the matter has not been resolved as quickly as the local authority and the public would have liked.

Detailing the options available to the local authority, Cllr Holden said that serving a compulsory purchase order or initiating enforcement action would be "complicated and contain a number of risks with no certainty that the outcome will be in our favour".

Cllr Kenny Earle, who lives near Greenfield House, was the first to raise concerns over the state of the property as well as antisocial behaviour in 2017.

He said at the meeting last week: "I live within 50 yards of the property and [witnessed] the way in which its generally degrading with nothing being done.

"The current owner has been completely intransigent; he made comments as Ellen [Cllr Forson] alluded to, at a public meeting, that he would be contactable – he even gave us a telephone number."

Current owners Kapital Residential Ltd had plans approved to turn the building into sheltered housing; however, the council previously confirmed the permission has since lapsed.

Earlier this year, after an infamous YouTube video showcased unauthorised entry to Greenfield, the owner met with council and emergency services, agreeing to carry out urgent wind and watertight as well as security works.

According to council documents the former were completed shortly after but the security fencing has not been improved since.